3D model of a sandstone with multiple plant and arthropod fossils (NHMW-GEO-2024/0188/15011)

<p>This rock is like a fossilised ecosystem! There are many fossils preserved on this sample, the largest of which is a leaf of the Scots Elm, or Bergulme (<i>Ulmus glabra</i>), as well as several insects.&nbsp;This rock comes from the town of Re, near Lago Maggiore, northern Italy. It formed during the Quaternary Period, which comprises the last 2.5 million years. Because it is so geologically young, it is not surprising that this species of plant is still alive today, and is native to France, central and eastern Europe.</p><p>This object is part of the historical ‘Ettingshausen collection’, which is on permanent loan from the Institute of Biology, University of Graz.</p>